To compare the short-term curative effect, complications and cosmetic result between immediate breast reconstruction and acellular cadaveric dermis-assisted immediate breast reconstruction after nipple-areola complex (NAC)–sparing mastectomy for breast cancer.

Between January 2015 and November 2017, a total of fifity-nine patients with breast cancer undergoing breast reconstruction in the Department of Breast Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University were included prospectively. Patients were randomly divided into two groups, 28 in the immediate breast reconstruction group (control group) and 31 in the acellular cadaveric dermis-assisted immediate breast reconstruction group (assisted group). The short-term curative effect, complications and cosmetic result between two groups were studied.

All patients successfully completed the breast reconstruction. The incidence rate of skin flap necrosis of the control group was 21.4% (6/28), the assisted group 25.8% (8/31); there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (χ²=0.156, P=0.693). All patients were evaluated the surgical results six months after the operation. The satisfaction rate of control group was 63.0% (17/27) and the assisted group was 86.7% (26/30) , with statistically significant difference (Z=-2.287, P=0.022). The incidence of seroma in the control group was 28.6% (8/28), and the assisted group 32.3% (10/31), with no statistically significant difference between the two groups (χ²=0.094, P=0.759). Other complications such as allergies and rejection did not occur.

Therapeutic effect and complications are similar between the two reconstruction methods without postoperation complication differences, but the cosmetic result of acellular cadaveric dermis-assisted immediate breast reconstruction group is better.